Electrical conductor terminal cap



April 26, 1938. E. MARTIN 2,115,642

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR TERMINAL CAP Filed Aug. 5, 1929 V Patented Apr.26,1938

' UNITED STATES eu'zcrmcsr. oonnuc'roa TERMINAL cAP Earl Martin,Chicago, Ill., assignor to George H.

Glade, Jr., Chicago, Ill. I

Application August 5, 1929, Serial No. 383,537

13 Claims.

terminal caps, particularly of the type used in making connections forelectric utility devices such as floor lamps, wash machines, toastersand other portable devices.

One of'the objects of the invention is to produce a terminal capconsisting of few parts.

Another object 01' the invention is to produce a terminal cap of simpledesign. Another object of the invention is to produce a terminal cap ofsturdy construction.

Another object of the invention is to produce a terminal cap thatpermits of the wire ends be-- ing connected thereto in a secure andreliablemanner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a terminal cap of thecharacter described, that permits 01' the wire ends, being secured ingood electrical contact with the blades, without the use-oi solder o1"auxiliarymechanical devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a terminal cap forconductors, having blades projectingtherefrom and cooperating therewithto provide a substantial and reliable connection of said blades to thecap members and to the conductors.

Another object of the invention is to attain those ends and otherobjects which will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, in which a commercial em-- bodimentof the invention isshown:-.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

, Fig. 3 is an axial section taken as indicated at the line 3-3 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the cap alone, wit the blades and wiresomitted.

- Fig. 5 is a perspective view of onev of the blades.

Fig. 6 is a view showing how the wire is formed 40 when assembled inposition.

In Fig. 1 the cap 2 is shown as attached toa cooperating plug 3 whichhas scggr thread connections with a socket or outlet which may beunderstood as indicating a source of electric current to be conducted bythe cable D.

The cable D is inserted in the bore 3 of the cap member 2, and the wiresl--.l of the cable are separated and spread in opposite directions, andmade to contact with blades 4-4.

50 In assembling the blades 4-4 and the cap 2, it

will be understood that suitable tools or devices are employed forholding the blades in proper position while driving the ends 4----4thereof into the cavities 2**2 of the member 2.

a 55 Having spread the wires 1-! in readiness to This invention relatesto electric conductor introduce the blades. the notch 4 at the end ofthe part 4 of each blade is straddledover a corresponding wire andforces it into its corresponding cavity 2 of the cap 2; the wires thusassuming the formation shown in Fig. 6. The 6 dimension of the cavity 2*is such as to accom- 'modate the thickness of the part 4 of the blade,

and to cause close'and suiiicient contact between the blade and thewire, and needing no further bond for reliably conducting the current'from one 10 to the other.

The blades 4 are notched at'the edges of the part 4 and these notchespreferably form projecting barbs 4 so that when driven into the cavities2 4 of the cap these barbs become 15 imbedded in the material of the capand tend to resist withdrawal thereof.

' These barbed ends are forced into the cavities of the cap until thebent portions 4 of the blades encounter the bottom of the grooves 2 -2and are stopped thereby; these grooves 2 further actto securely retainthe blades in parallelism.

The blades 4-4 are made of suitable electrical conducting material, andthe cap body is made of any suitable insulating material, such as semi-25 hard rubber, fibre or any other substance which will lend itselfreadily in the construction of this device.

It will of course be understood that due to the comparative stiffness ofthe blades 4--4 and the 30 convenient shoulder 4 the blades may beformed without the prongs 4 and driven into the openings 2 beingfrictionally held therein. This has been found a very effective way tohold the prongs in place particularly when the'cavities 2 are formedslightly smaller than the width of 2. prong and the wire I.

It will be noted that this construction provides means for connectingthe two wires to the blades or terminals, and the blades may beconnected 40 to the cap and the wires without the use of any auxiliarydevices such as screws, rivets or other expedients.

It .will be understood that many changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit of this invention.

I claim: h

1. In a device of the character described having a. one-piece cap bodyand blades, said body having an opening therethrough, insulated con- '50ductors therein with the ends thereof bent apart at one end of saidopening and bared of insulation, spaced cavities in said body near saidend within which cavities said'blades are driven, said bared ends beingelectrically connected to said blades, and means formed integral withthe blades and located within said cavities to grip the walls thereofand secure said blades against withdrawal.

2. In a device of the character described including contact blades and abody member for mounting the same, said body member composed ofresilient material and having cavities therein into which said bladesare driven to assemble the same, said cavities constituting means formounting the said blades in the said body member, the portion of theblades occupying the cavities having barbs formed thereon to secure samein position and prevent withdrawal thereof.

3. In a device of the character described including contact blades and abody member for mounting the same, said body member composed ofresilient material and having cavities therein into which said bladesare driven to assemble the same, said cavities constituting means formounting the said blades in the said bodymember, the portion of theblades occupying the cavities having barbs so formed thereon that theblades may be more readily entered than withdrawn, but securely heldagainst accidental withdrawal.

4. An electrical fitting comprising a body of non-frangible insulatingmaterial having parallel prong receiving openings and sheet metal members having barbed prongs of a thickness equal to the thickness of thesheet and of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the holes,the prongs being incapable of easy insertion into the openings butcapable of being forced into the same,

the barbed prongs being effective to resist removal.

5. An electrical fitting comprising ,a body of non-frangible insulatingmaterial having a face and two spaced holes extending inwardly from theface, and metallic members having prongs forced into the holes, thesides of the prongs having laterally extending projections which engagethe walls of the holes and resist removal.

8. In a device of the character described including contact blades and abody member for mounting the same, said body member being composed ofinsulating material and having cavities therein into which said bladesare forced to assemble the same, said cavities constituting means formounting the said blades in the said body member, the portion of eachblade which occupies a cavity having a barb formed thereon to securesame in position and prevent withdrawal thereof.

7. An attachment plug cap comprising contact prongs and a preformedsupporting base therefor having a passageway therethrough into whichconductors may be led in one direction for connection with said contactprongs, a pair of prongreceiving holes arranged on each side of saidpassage-way and extending inwardly but not through said base from theside opposite that through which said conductors enter, each of saidprongs having a portion too large for ready insertion in thecorresponding hole but forced into said hole to secure the prong inposition and prevent withdrawal, the outer portions of said prongsextending in the direction first mentioned, and the ends of saidconductors being secured in good electrical contact with said prongs.

8. An attachment plug cap comprising contact prongs and a preformedsupporting base therefor having a passage-way therethrough into whichconductors may be led in one direction for connection with said contactprongs, a pair of prongreceiving holes arranged on each side of saidpassage-way and extending inwardly but not through cess extending fromthe open end of each hole to 1 said passageway, the ends of saidconductors extending in opposite directions in said recesses andfrictionally held between said forced-in portions of said prongs and thewalls of the holes to secure said conductors in good electrical contactwith said prongs.

9. In a plug construction, the combination of a plug body formed ofinsulating material and having a recess in the face at one end and anaxial bore extending from said'recess through said body, insulatedconductors entering said bore at the other end of said body andextending there- .through, and a pair of substantially parallel blademembers each having a pressed at in a cavity extending inwardly fromsaid recess near the exit end of said bore, the ends of said conductorsbeing bare and each end extending along the side of one of said blademembers and folded around the same to engage the other side also, saidfolded ends being compressed between the walls of said cavities and saidblade members,to establish mechanical and electrical connectiontherewith.-

10. In a plug construction, the combination of a plug base of insulatingmaterial having a'recess in the face at one end and having an axial boreextending from said rebess through said base, insulated conductorsentering said bore at the other end of said base and extendingtherethrough, a pair of substantially parallel blades, the innerportions of which fit within a pair of substantially parallel openingsin said base, said openings being spaced on opposite sides of said boreand communicating with the outer end thereof by means of said endrecess, said blades having 'notches in the inner ends thereof, saidconductors being bent apart and positioned in said end recess and havingthe ends thereof bared and each bent to follow the said inner portion ofa blade along one side, through said notch, and back along the otherside, and clamped against said blade by the wall of the opening, tomaintain eifective electrical and mechanical contact therewith.

11. In combination, a one-piece, molded attachment plug of. insulatingmaterial, having a longitudinal opening therethrough, a pair ofsubstantially smooth bore recesses in one end of said plug extendinginto but not through the same, and arranged on opposite sides of saidlongitudinal opening substantially parallel thereto, contact bladeshaving their inner portions within said recesses, said portions having atransverse dimension in excess of that required for a sliding fit,whereby said blades are assembled by forcing the same into said recessesthereby gripping the walls thereof to maintain the assembled relation,said plug having a transverse groove in the outer end, connecting theouter ends of said recesses with the outer end of said longitudinalopening, to receive and partially enclose conductors led in from theopposite end of said longitudinal opening and extending to said blades.

12. In a device of the character described including contact blades anda body member for mounting the same, said body member being composed ofinsulating material and having cavities therein into which said bladesare pressed to assemble the same, said cavities constituting means formounting the said blades in the said body member, the portion of eachblade which occupies a cavity having a barb formed thereon to secure thesame in position and prevent withdrawal thereof, and conductors eachhaving a bared end positioned in one of said cavities in good electricalcontact with the corresponding blade.

13. An attachment plug cap comprising contact prongs and a preformedsupporting base therefor having a passageway therethrough, conductors insaid passageway, a pair of prong-receiving holes arranged on each sideof said passage-way and extending inwardly but not through said basefrom the side opposite that through Which said conductors enter, each ofsaid prongs having a projection thereon with an inclined face sloping ina direction to facilitate insertion but not withdrawal of the prong fromthe corresponding hole, said prongs having portions seated in said holeswith other portions extending outwardly, a recess extending from theopen end of each hole to said passageway, the ends of said conductorsextending in opposite directions in said recesses and frictionally heldagainst said seated portions to secure said conductors in goodelectrical contactwith said prongs.

EARL MARTIN.

